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About NUI Galway

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Dr. Gerard Fleming

Contact Details

Biography

I am a Lecturer and Researcher in the Discipline of Microbiology. I have almost thirty-year’s experience of teaching microbiology at undergraduate and postgraduate levels and was awarded the Presidents Award for Teaching Excellence in 2012 and again in 2017. I am course co-director for the Postgraduate Diploma in Microbiology. I currently contribute in excess of 345 direct contact hours to teaching taught programmes at undergraduate and postgraduate level. I am the director of the Microbial Oceanography Research Unit with a research focus on the role played by microorganisms in the deep ocean, their potential for the biodiscovery of marine drugs from microorganisms and phytoplankton. I have also research interests in microorganisms and infectious diseases in relation to the development of antimicrobial resistance (biocide and antibiotic) among human pathogens and ibioaersol transmission of pathogens. I have also a keen interest in industrial microbiology regarding bioprocess technology and evaluation of disinfectant efficacy.

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Research Interests

My research Interests can be described as belonging broadly to the fields of Deep Sea Microbiology, Infectious Disease and the development of resistance to antimicrobials and Industrial Microbiology.I have generated approximately €4.4 M in total funding and €1.09M in direct income to my laboratory. Research output from the antimicrobial/biocide research theme has achieved recognition on the world stage in 2010 as a result of a press release of a paper I authored which linked antibiotic and disinfectant resistance in microbial pathogens. As leader of the Marine Organisms Research Unit (which I established in 2006), I have fostered collaborative research with international partners across Europe (Spain, Netherlands, Italy, Belgium, Polytechnic Greece and Germany) and the UK (British Antarctic Survey). I have shown innovation and adaptability by synergising the antimicrobial susceptibility/ and marine microbiology themes to a central theme of marine biodiscovery for novel antimicrobials (phytoplankton and deep sea microorganisms). The former is funded by the Science Foundation Ireland Investigator Programme (2013) in collaboration with Dr. Touzet (I.T. Sligo). The latter is in collaboration with Professor Tasdemir (Professor of Natural Product Chemistry and Marine Biodiscovery, School of Chemistry, NUIG). I am a member of the Biodiversity and Bioresources, Marine and Costal Processes, Environment and Health priority research area clusters (Ryan) and of the Infectious Disease Group (Microbiology and affiliated to NCBES). I have supervised three Ph.D. students and one M.Sc. (by research) to completion and eleven minor theses for taught M.Sc. programmes. I have supervised two post-doctoral researchers and I currently direct the research of seven Ph.D. students. I have published 18 peer-reviewed papers, two book chapters and 7 conference papers as proceedings

Research Projects

Project

Start Date

End Date

Physiology and molecular biology of microalgae for the biorefining of valuable Metabolites

'Comparative summer dynamics of surface cyanobacterial communities in two connected lakes from the west of Ireland'
Touzet, N,McCarthy, D,Gill, A,Fleming, GTA (2016) 'Comparative summer dynamics of surface cyanobacterial communities in two connected lakes from the west of Ireland'. Science Of The Total Environment, 553 :416-428 [DOI] [Details]

'An investigation of the physiology and potential role of components of the deep ocean bacterial community (of the NE Atlantic) by enrichments carried out under minimal environmental change'
Egan, ST,McCarthy, DM,Patching, JW,Fleming, GTA (2012) 'An investigation of the physiology and potential role of components of the deep ocean bacterial community (of the NE Atlantic) by enrichments carried out under minimal environmental change'. Deep-Sea Research Part I-Oceanographic Research Papers, 61 :11-20 [DOI] [Details]

'The advantages of the use of discs containing single agents in disc diffusion testing of the susceptibility of Aeromonas salmonicida to potentiated sulphonarnides'
Douglas, I,Ruane, NM,Geary, M,Carroll, C,Fleming, GTA,McMurray, J,Smith, P (2007) 'The advantages of the use of discs containing single agents in disc diffusion testing of the susceptibility of Aeromonas salmonicida to potentiated sulphonarnides'. Aquaculture, 272 :118-125 [DOI] [Details]

Wellcome Trust working group (UK) on Healthcare-Associated Infections and the Patient Pathway

Biocide Expert

01-MAR-10 /

SIPTU Academic Section

Chairperson

21-FEB-08 / 13-APR-10

Library Committee and Library fincnce sub-committee

College of Science Representative

10-SEP-07 / 27-AUG-09

Examination Security Group

College of Science representative

03-SEP-07 / 28-AUG-09

College of Science Policy Committee

Microbiology Representative

01-SEP-06 / 30-AUG-08

Programme Management Committee for the B.Sc. denominated degree in Biotechnology

Discipline of Microbiology Representative

01-SEP-05 / 12-NOV-13

M.Sc. in Biotechnology Programme Management Committee

Member

01-SEP-04 / 14-NOV-13

Science Promotion Committee

Microbiology Representative

02-SEP-02 / 01-SEP-05

SIPTU Academic Section

Recording Secretary

01-APR-02 / 01-JAN-08

Employment

Employer

Position

From / To

NUIG

TTA in Microbiology

01-OCT-97 / 01-AUG-01

NUIG

Lecturer Below the Bar in Microbiology

02-NOV-01 / 04-JUN-07

NUIG

Lecturer above the Bar in Microbiology

05-JUN-06 /

Education

Year

Institution

Qualification

Subject

1979

RTC Carlow

Certificate

National Certificate in Applied Biology (NCEA)

1981

RTC Carlow

Diploma

National Diploma in Analytical Chemiscty (NCEA)

1983

UCG

BSc

Microbiology

1993

UCG

PhD

Microbiology

1980

City and Guilds

Certificate

Quality Control

2012

NUIG

Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning

3 core areas

Community Engagement

Title

Type

From / To

Advocacy

Dog Judge

10-MAR-08 / 13-NOV-13

Advocacy

Galway Dog Club

05-JUN-08 / 13-NOV-13

Advocacy

OG Corrib

01-FEB-08 / 13-NOV-13

Reviews

Journal

Role

Bioresources

Reviewer

Journal Of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology

Editoral Board

Environmental Science And Pollution Research

Editor

Deep Sea Research

Reviewer

Aquaculture

Reviewer

Teaching Interests

I have in excess of 345 teaching contact hours per academic year with undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. I teach three large classes. Lecture topics are diverse yet embrace a cohort of first-year to third-year students.

I teach medium-sized classes in 60-seater lecture hall setting. The units are: Bioprocess Technology to M.SC. in Biotechnology and 4th Biotechnology students (1MT1/BG502 and 4BY2/BG417) and Fungal Biotechnology to 4th year Microbiology and Biotechnology students (MI401/MI428 and 4BY2/BG417). This course has been modified under academic simplification to provide for a 5ECT module on Bioprocessors and Recombinant Protein pProduction in 2014. I teach Practical Industrial Microbiology (Disinfectant Efficacy Testing) to third-year students (3BS9/MI316, MR3, and 3BY2/BY2) in a 70 seat laboratory. I further contribute to the 4th year Microbiology programme by providing supervision for c.a. 6 student laboratory projects per academic year.

I have twenty-five years of history working with this programme (formerly the Higher Diploma in Applied Science Microbiology (until 2009). I was the programmes founder and first coordinator. Since, 2001; Dr. Cyril Carroll and I share the responsibility for running the programme as co-directors. We have contributed as a team to the extensive development of the programme over the past decade. This includes the introduction of units on industrial microbiology, quality management systems, statistical process control, mammalian and cell culture, communication skills, bioremediation, risk assessment, CV and interview skills and presentation skills.

In excess of 250 students have graduated from the course. It currently has a small intake (average 5-10 students p.a. over the past five years) but all of these graduates have found employment in Irish industry in various sectors (food, healthcare, biomedical and pharmaceutical). Graduates are highly employable because they have the de novo experience of synthesising a laboratory-based quality management system (QMS). In addition to delivering c.a. 40 lectures, I take primary charge for working with these students in the laboratory (c.a. 7-11 hours per week in term 1). Graduates of the programme must be proficient in GLP/GMP and have an intricate understanding of QMS. The objective of the programme is to train high-quality microbiology technicians and laboratory-managers. The programme has an integrated approach to learning. My teaching in module MI851 (e.g. preparation and testing of parenterals) are aligned with the lectures and practical of Dr. Carroll in MI857 (theory of QMS Practice of Sterility testing) which facilitates the students building a working QMS in the laboratory setting. I further supervise these students for a six-week project in term 2.

Recent Postgraduate Students

Graduation

Name

Degree

Primary Supervisor

2008

David McCarthy

PhD

N

2016

Garry McCoy

PhD

Y

2008

Pamela Ryan

PhD

Y

2018

Lilit Tonoyon

PhD

Aileen Gill

PhD

N

2016

Sarah Cosgrove

PhD

Y

2008

Paul McCay

PhD

N

2012

Geraldine McNulty

Y

2017

Donal McGee (registered at I.T. Sligo)

PhD

Sylvia Soldaltou

PhD

Y

2016

Olivia Duignan

PhD

Current Postgraduate Students (Research)

Student

Degree Type

Type

Lilit Tonoyan

Doctorate - Structured PhD (Science)

Co-supervisor (1)

Aileen Gill

Doctorate - Ph.D.(Science)

Supervisor

Modules Taught

Term/Year

Module Title

Module Code

Subject / Desc

2/2014

Bacterial Systematics

MI212

Classification of Microorganisms

1/2013

Industrial microbiology

MI855

Production processes

1/2013

Industrial Microbiology

MI323

Bioprocess technology relating to the organism, medium and process

1/2013

Laboratory Project

MI405

Bench-based labopratory projects, 10 weeks duration with 6 students

2 /2014

Marine Microbiology

BO101/BO111

Introduction to the role played by microorganisms in seas and oceans

1/2 2013/2014

Quality Management Systems

MI852

Setting-up and auditing a lab-based QMS

2/2014

Laboratory project

MI853

Bench-based validation and Risk Asessment project with 10 students

2/2014

BioprocessTechnology

BG502

The fermenter in Industry

2/2014

Bioprocessor and Recombinant Protein Production

MI442

Lab, Pilot Scalew to Industrial Production of Recombinant proteins

2/2014

Bioprocessors and reconminant Protein production

BG407

Lab, Pilot Scale to Industrial Scale production of Recombinant Proteins

About NUI Galway

Founded in 1845, we've been inspiring students for 170 years. NUI Galway has earned international recognition as a research-led university with a commitment to top quality teaching.